Don’t use churches as an excuse for corruption – Christian Council

The Christian Council of Ghana says said state officials should not use religious bodies as an excuse to be corrupt.

This follows an assertion by Northern Regional Minister, Mohammed Muniru Limuna, that the clergy foster corruption among state officials through their fundraising activities.

According to him, the practice where government officials are asked to pay huge sums of money for prayers and other fundraising activities compel them to steal money to keep up appearances.

But speaking to Citi News, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, says political appointees must not succumb to such pressures.

He said, “people in public service are supposed to be matured people and we must have ministers of state who should be able to say, this is what I ought to do as a leader and I will not allow anybody to put pressure on me to do what I’m not supposed to do”.

Dr. Opuni Frimpong argued that state officials should be guided by the code of conduct of the offices they hold. He indicated, “ministers of state and people in public service are supposed to be ethical”.

Meanwhile, Dr. Opuni Frimpong called on religious bodies to assess ways of making money for their respective projects and programmes.

He said, “If the way we are raising money will push some people to do what they ought not to do in public life, there are lessons that we must learn quickly.”